Sept. 17, 2015

PENNSYLVANIA

Pittsburgh: Auditor general to audit ICA

Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced an audit of the city’s Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority Tuesday. Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-Brookline) also plans to introduce legislation that would abolish the authority. Joseph Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, said that money shouldn’t flow to Pittsburgh if the city isn’t doing what the ICA wants.

Pittsburgh: Postmaster charged with intimidation

Daniel Davis is charged with intimidating coworkers so they wouldn’t report whether they saw him opening packages containing illegal drugs. Davis allegedly opened the packages to “clean up the streets” and threatened to kill witnesses. His employment status is unknown.

Pittsburgh: Youth care worker suspended

Derrick Dawkins faces criminal charges for allegedly asking one of his charges at Shuman Detention Center, a 16-year-old girl, for sex via a handwritten note. Dawkins is on unpaid suspension and faces multiple charges.

Philadelphia: Senator opposes Iran deal

Sen. Pat Toomey criticized President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal, which passed last week, as unlawful because the President did not hand Congress all of the appropriate documents before the vote. Toomey said that Republicans will continue to fight the accord.

Harrisburg: Agencies sue Department of Human Services

More than 100 nonprofits and private agencies are suing Gov. Tom Wolf and the Department of Human Services for failing to pass a budget on funding school spending. The prosecutors say they depend on federal tax money but are not getting it because of the impasse.

Washington: Investigation prompted by fight at football game

Isaiah Faulk, runningback for the Westminster College Titans, and Zak Dickey, Washington and Jefferson defensive back, are under scrutiny for getting into a fight mid-game on Saturday. KDKA released a video showing Faulk punching Dickey in the face.

NATIONAL

Number of people uninsured drops

According to new Census figures, 33 million Americans don’t have health insurance, which is nearly 9 million fewer than last year. The decrease is likely tied to the impact of the Affordable Care Act. However the rate of people in poverty stayed constant at 46.7 million Americans.

GOP Debate, Round II

CNN hosted the second presidential debate for Republican candidates Wednesday night. The 6 p.m. debate was to feature the four lowest polling candidates, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, George Pataki and Lindsey Graham. The primetime debate was scheduled to pit Donald Trump against Jeb Bush, Ben Carson and newcomer Carly Fiorina.

Oklahoma inmate granted temporary reprieve

Richard Glossip, who was convicted of killing his boss in 1997, was granted a two-week stay of execution hours before his scheduled lethal injection on Wednesday. On Tuesday, his attorneys claimed to have uncovered evidence that suggests Glossip was framed.

Freshman ‘hoax bomber’

Ahmed Mohamed, 14, took a homemade clock to MacArthur High School in Texas on Monday to show his teacher. Another teacher believed the clock was the makings of a bomb and confiscated it. Mohamed was arrested, taken to a juvenile detention center and suspended for three days. The incident propelled Mohamed to Internet stardom. He even got invited to the White House.

IN OTHER NEWS

When it’s time to take a break

Researchers at Baylor University propose that around 10 to 11 a.m. is the best time of day to take a break — people are freshly caffeinated, caught up on email and have read the Daily Report by that time. Participants in the study reported feeling much more energized with mid-morning breaks than mid-afternoon ones.

More PublicSource stories

PublicSource is dedicated to informing our readers about important issues facing Pittsburgh and the state. In order to better serve this mission, we have decided to focus our efforts on bringing you more detailed coverage.

After three fatalities in the last week, including a woman who was killed in a bicycle-car accident in the Oakland area, Bike Pittsburgh is petitioning for immediate safety changes. The group is asking for adjustments such as speed bumps, educational programs and traffic enforcement so bikers and motorists can better share the road.